2012 Stock Tacoma Driveline Vibration

UPDATE:

I brought mine in again for a prearranged visit with a factory rep from Toyota. According to the service manager they spent quite a while messing around with it.

I was having two issues, the acceleration vibration around 20mph under moderate throttle, and the vibration during braking which has been descirbed on here as a driveline vibe.

Unfortunately for the OP, I was told the accel vibe is normal. This is less of an issue for me personally because i rarely feel it and its only for a half a second anyway. Granted, I wish it didnt do it but I can live with it.

The vibe while braking is fixed! I had previously had the front rotors and rear drums replaced with no relief. Well, they figured out the rear drums that are being manufactured in Mexico are not made perfectly round. They machined the drums and the vibes are gone! This explains why replacing them with new ones didn't help as they were made incorrectly from square one.

I am so ecstatic about this vie being gone that I have a new found love for my truck. If I can provide any of you guys with any more info who are being plagued with the issue please let me know.

Take care!

edit: It should be noted I still get a vibe around 20 while braking but the constant shaking/vibration is gone. There's something that causes the 20mph vibe i just dont know what it is.

 

Same here w/ the drums. Was told they were out of round. Seems dealership turned them but also ordered me new ones which I was told are on "national back-order". This makes me believe there's a bigger Q/C problem. Regardless, my braking shake is MUCH improved but I still experience a slight vibe @ ~20mph which is worse on deceleration. Not perfect...but now at least livable.

 

Yup, the 20mph vibe is there but overall a huge improvement. Hope this helps others with this issue get some resolve with their dealers. I wouldn't be surprised if they are on national backorder as part of a larger Q/C issue as you said.

 

Normal...thats frisking amazing that Toyota is OK with sending out a truck that shakes like that and its considered ok in their eyes....im blown away.

Ive spent countless hours and money getting rid of much smaller vibes on my previous lifted trucks and here I'm stock with a totally stock brand new toyota that vibrates way harder than my lifted trucks ever did and they want me to be ok with it?!

 

I would guess if they (Toyota) received a few "three strikes and you're out" lemon law full refunds under their belt, it just might hasten the pace of their search for a fix

 

The funny thing is they released a TSB for the exact issue a few years ago. Either it didn't work or its resurfaced and now it's normal.

 

Here's my update. (sorry it's overdue, I've been busy and traveling for work.) I've been documenting everything now.

On 5/18 I last spoke with Toyota and told them I might try towing with it. No one from Toyota has contacted me since, and I didn't try towing.

So I'm done being patient and want the vehicle fixed or replaced.

Today I called Toyota at 800-331-4331 and spoke to Robin, I said I'm done being nice, helpful, and patient about this problem, and want my truck either fixed or replaced. She informed me there is a Toyota arbitration program (yup they actually have their own abitration program) or I can go through California lemon law. I was recommended to do lemon law, but will research this more.

While on the phone, we started the lemon law paper work and I'm supposed to receive a letter in the mail 7-10 days from now that includes the steps that I need to follow next. I said I'm willing bring the Tacoma to other dealers so they can also check it out, but basically the field tech told the dealer I should put 5000 miles on it and I'm not willing to put up with this for another 3-4months. I'm at 2450miles right now.

I'll keep updating along the way.

Austin

 

^ thanks for the update, good luck and let us know how it progresses

 

Update:

I received a letter from Toyota Motor Sales USA Inc. regional office in San Ramon CA, phone number 925-830-8300 included in header.

Fail: very first word of the letter is a typo: "Thie letter is to acknowledge..." I think they meant "THIS letter..."

Anyway the letter dated 6/5 (wow they responded fast) acknowledged my call on June 4th.

They're of course already asking me for documents - so now I have to go research process to see how to proceed i.e. do i want to provide docs to them or the State? I'm not planning to use an attorney. The truck obviously has a problem and it's Toyota USA in Torrance who recommended I lemon it.

 

I don't see any problems w/ them seeing any documentation-they would get to see everything eventually anyways- you can use a header that shows the documentation going to the state and Toyota as being CC'd

 

The wife and I are going to go test drive and and buy a truck I negotiated to where I wanted it. Want to make sure I properly test drive to check for these vibes. Can someone recommend how to properly check. Sounds like I should....

1. Try to accelerate hard between 5-25mph?

2. Accelerate hard up a hill?

Any other ideas for me to check the truck for these vibrations?

Thanks ahead of time!

 

Its moderate accel, not like you have to floor it. And yes, going up a hill it is more noticeable. braking going down a hill it is noticeable too.

edit: you can watch the steering wheel from a dead stop. Accel moderately and the whole wheel visibly shakes.

 

as soon as you put it in drive, give it a good healthy amount of gas, right away, not a gradual push to that point and it doesn't have to be all the way to the floor, just as if you're trying to get out of the way in a hurry, you won't miss the vibes. If you want give it a full throttle, just don't think dealer will appreciate that.

 

Is this problem just on automatics? Or manuals as well?

Mine is coming in this next week, I'll be giving it a good test drive for sure.

Very sorry to hear of these problems here. Disconcerting.

 

Happy to report the truck did not have any vibration issue so we bought it! Thanks for the help everyone!

 

Mine's a '12 with 6 speed (DCSB Off Road), major shaking.

 

Are you sure your just not knowing what to look for? Nearly ever 2012 does it. Some may just not notice it..

 

I read through this thread before driving any of them. I drove a 6spd a while back and I definitely felt the vibes, could feel it in the steering wheel and the floorboard. Couldn't feel it on this one, but maybe it's just not as bad. Did a good deal of driving around today including hills and I couldn't feel it trying even though I was trying to drive like was recommended to get the vibes.

Does the vibration develope over time/miles or is it just because people don't notice when it's new then do later on?

 

I noticed it a few days after pick up. I test drove another vehicle on the lot a week later and it was even worst. How about on braking, do you feel the car vibrating while coming to a stop? Whereabouts in SoCal are you?

 

Haven't noticed anything while braking either. Now I wanna go out and drive it to see if I can notice while braking. This forum is going to make me think there is something wrong with my truck! lol

On my 2010 my rear drums got out of round because my wife would jam the E brake on while the brakes were hot causing the drums to go out of round. I definitely felt the braking vibes when that happened. After I got the drums fixed I never used my E brake and didn't have another problem while braking.